I have been to South Korea for business about 10-15 times.
There is a lot of shopping and tourist items in Seoul. One popular day trip is the tour of the DMZ.
'Mak-ju' is beer. Get used to saying it, as the food is typically VERY spicy. Fermented cabbage laced with spices, called Kim-chi is always on the table... beer in hand before sampling.
I am unsure of your language skills, if you get outside Seoul, there is little english signage or photos on menus. It can be fairly difficult. If you need a translator, you typically are asked by a restaurant owner to speak to their 6-7 year old. Older folks will have fairly solid Japanese.
In Seoul, the maps, tourist guide and roadsigns were just done a few years back for the World Cup soccer touney, so it is almost convenient.
